Chapter 3 Timeline

Events

Mayan City-States

250

the classic period which began around AD 250, was the golden age of the Maya Empire. Classic Maya civilization grew to some 40 cities, including Tikal, Uaxactun, Copan, Bonampak, Dos Pilas, Calakmul, Palenque, and Rio Bec. Each city held a population of between 5,000 and 50,000 people

Byzantine Empire

330

the continuation of the Roman Empire in the Greek-speaking eastern part of the Mediterranean. In 330 CE, Constantine decided to make Byzantium, which he had refounded a couple years before and named after himself, his new residence. After the death of Constantine, in an attempt to overcome the growing military and administrative problem, the Roman Empire was divided into an eastern and western part. For more than half a century, the empire was ruled by monarchs from the west but they never succeeded in gaining full control

Dark Ages

476

the dark ages as a term has undergone many evolutions; its definition depends on who is defining it. The Dark Ages referred to the Period of time ushered by the fall of the Western Roman Empire. This took place when the last Western emperor, Romulus Agustuslus, was deposed by Odoacer, A barbarian.

Middle Ages

500 - 1500

the middle ages or medieval period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century (476 CE). It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the renaissance and the Age of Discovery.

Grand Canal Built

605

china’s first great canal system, which created a northeast-southwest link from the Huang He to the Huai River, was built beginning in 605 during the Sui Dynasty. The canal stretches over 1,100 miles from the city of Beijing to the city of Hangzhou. It was built in order to easily ship grain from the rich farmland in southern China to the capital city in Beijing. It also helped the emperors to feed the soldiers guarding the northern borders. It took over six years of hard work by millions of laborers.

Muhammad's 1st Revelation

610

the event in which Muhammad was visited by the archangel Gabriel in 610 CE, who revealed to him a verse from the Quran. The event took place in a cave called Hira. While on retreat in a mountain near mecca, Gabriel appears before Muhammad and commands him to recite the first lines of Chapter 96.

Tang Dynasty

618 - 907

the Tang Dynasty was the most glistening period in china’s history. Founded in 618 and ending in 907, the state became the most powerful and prosperous country in the world. The economy, politics, culture, and military strength reached an unparalleled advanced level. It was the second largest and longest-enduring empire in the region after the Han Empire. The tang dynasty clan emerged when people of the Sui Empire rebelled against their rulers.

The Hijrah

622

the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib, later renamed by him to Medina, in 622 CE. After being warned of a plot to assassinate him, Muhammad secretly left his home to emigrate to Yathrib.

Sunni/Shia Split

632

the demographic breakdown between the two denominations is difficult to assess and varies by source. The historic background of the sunni-shia split lies in the schism that occurred when the Islamic prophet Muhammad died in the year 632, leading to a dispute over succession to Muhammad as a caliph of the Islamic community spread across various parts of the world which led to the Battle of Siffin. In recent years, sunni/shia relations have been increasingly marked by conflict.

Death of Muhammad

632

Muhammad died in 632 AD. He died as a result of being poisoned following his attack upon and conquest of the Jewish settlement of Khaibar. About 2 months before his attack on Khaibar Muhammad failed in an attempt to go to Mecca. Immediately following the conquest of Khaibar, a Jewish woman prepared a dinner for Muhammad and some of his men. Unknown to the Muslims that she had put a poison into the lamb (some say goat) that was served at dinner. Muhammad ate some of the poisoned lamb and died as a result three years later.

Umayyad Caliphate

661 - 750

also spelled Omayyad, the first great Muslim dynasty to rule the empire of Caliphate (661-750 CE), sometimes referred to as the Arab kingdom. The Syrian army became the basis of the Umayyad strength, enabling the creation of a united empire through greater control of the conquered provinces and of Arab tribal rivalries. Decline began with the disastrous defeat of the Syrian army by the Byzantine emperor Leo III. The last Umayyad was defeated at the Battle of the Great Zab River. Members of the Umayyad house were hunted down and killed, but one of the survivors.

Muslim's Control Spain

711 - 1492

(711-1492) Islamic Spain was a multi-cultural mix of Muslims, Christians, and Jews. It brought a degree of civilization to Europe that matched the heights of the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance. One reason for the rapid Muslim success was the generous surrender terms that they offered the people, which contrasted with the harsh conditions imposed by the previous Visigoth rulers. Jews and Christians did retain some freedom under Muslim rule, providing they obeyed certain rules.

Battle of Tours

October 10, 732

the Battle of Tours (often called the Battle of Poitiers) was fought on October 10, 732 between forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel. During the battle, the Franks defeated the Islamic army. Despite the great importance of this battle, its exact location remains unknown. The Arab army retreated south over the pyreneese

Abbasid's take Baghdad

750 - 1285

the Abbasids were the dynasty of caliphs who ruled Islamic empire from 750 until the mongol conquest of the middle east in 1285

Abbasid Caliphate

750 - 1258

the Abbasid Caliphate was the third of the Islamic caliphates to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It overthrew the Umayyad caliphate in 750 AD. The Abbasids had depended heavily on the support of Persians in their overthrow of the Umayyads.

Holy Roman Empire

800 - 1806

a multi-ethnic complex of territories in central Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages in 800 continuing until is dissolution in 1806. The largest territory of the empire after 962 was the Kingdom of Germany that also came to include the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Burgundy, the Kingdom of Italy, and a lot of other territories. The office of Holy Roman Emperor was traditionally elective but was frequently controlled by dynasties. The power of the emperor was limited and they also possessed an extent of privileges that gave them de facto independence within their territories. The holy Roman Empire developed a complex legal and political structure.

Song Dynasty

960 - 1279

the song dynasty was an era of Chinese history that began in 960 and continued until 1279. It succeeded the five dynasties and ten kingdoms period and was followed by the Yuan dynasty. It consisted of the Northern Song and the Southern Song. This period was considered as another period of ‘golden age’ after the glorious Tang Dynasty.

High Middle Ages

1001 - 1300

the period of European History around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries (1001-1300). The high middle ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500.

Crusades

1050

the first crusades began in 1095, when armies of Christians from western Europe responded to Pope Urban II’s plea to go to war against Muslim forces in the Holy Land. After the First Crusade achieved its goal with the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. By the end of the 11th century, western Europe had emerged as a significant power in its own right.

Great Schism Between Catholics & Eastern Orthodox

1054

the east-west schism, also called the Great Schism of 1054, was the break of communion between what are now the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, which has lasted since the 11th century. It is not to be confused with the Western Schism which is also sometimes called the Great Schism. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox still remain separate.

Viking invasions in Europe

1066

in 1051, William is believed to have visited England and meth with his cousin Edward the confessor, the childless English king. With approximately 7,000 troops and cavalry, William seized Pevensey and marched to Hastings, where he paused to organize his forces. On Christmas day, 1066, William the conqueror was crowned the first Norman king of England, in Westminster Abbey, and the Anglo-Saxon tongue to give birth to Modern English.

Mongol Empire

1130 - 1160

around the 1130, the Mongols emerged as a powerful tribe, defeating neighboring nomads forcing the Jin Empire of Northern China to pay tribute. In 1160, the Mongol Empire was shattered, having been defeated by the neighboring Tartars tribe.

Pax Mongolica

1200 - 1300

also known as the Mongol Peace, was a period of time where peace, stability, economic growth, cultural fusion, and cultural development were happening around the Mongol’s occupied territories. It was a time of spreading different ideas and a great cultural expansion around Europe and Asia. Pax Mongolica basically enabled a widespread global communication with the different cultures to blend with each other and combine different philosophies.

Magna Carta

1215

by 1215, thanks to years of unsuccessful foreign policies and heavy taxation demands, England’s king john was facing down a possible rebellion by the country’s powerful barons. Under duress, he agreed to a charter of liberties known as the Magna Carta that would place him and all of England’s future sovereigns within a rule of law. Later generations of Englishmen would celebrate the Magna Carta as a symbol of freedom from oppression, as would the founding fathers of the United States of America.

Parliament Established

1215

in 1215, the tenants-in-chief secured Magna Carta from king John, which established that the king may not levy or collect any taxes except the feudal taxes to which they were hitherto accustomed.

The Inquistion

1231

a judicial procedure and later an institution that was established by the papacy and sometimes by secular governments to combat heresy. (1231)

Yuan Dynasty

1271

In 1271, Kublai Khan formally established the Yuan Dynasty with Yuandadu (currently Beijing) as the capital. The Yuan Dynasty enjoyed economic development and prospered in the fields of science and literature. The economy was mainly based on agriculture.

Tenochtitlan Built

1325 - 1521

a city-state located on an island in Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. Founded in 1325, it became the seat of the growing Aztec Empire in the 15th century, until it was captured by the Spanish in 1521. Today the ruins of Tenochtitlan are located in the central part of Mexico City

100 Years War

1337 - 1453

the modern term for a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Plantagenet, rulers of th Kingdom of England against the house of valois

Aztec Empire

1345 - 1521

At its greatest extent, covered most of northern Mesoamerica. Aztec warriors were able to dominate their neighboring states and permit rulers to impose Aztec ideals and religion across Mexico. Highly accomplished in agriculture and trade, the last of the great Mesoamerican civilizations was also noted for its art and architecture which ranks amongst the finest ever produced on the continent.

Black Death

1346 - 1353

an epidemic of bubonic plague, a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis that circulates among wild rodents where they live in great numbers and density. The name came several centuries after its visitation. Plague among humans arises when rodents in human habitation, normally black rats, become infected.

Ming Dynasty

1368 - 1644

wade-giles romanization Ming, Chinese dynasty that lasted from 1368 to 1644 and provided an interval of native Chinese rule between eras of Mongol and Manchu dominance, respectively. During the Ming period, China exerted immense cultural and political influence on East Asia and the Turks to the west, as well as on Vietnam and Myanmar to the South.

Voyages of Zheng He

1405 - 1433

(1371-1433 or 1435) formerly romanized as Cheng Ho, was a Hui court eunuch, mariner, explorer, diplomat, and fleet admiral during China’s early Ming dynasty. Zheng commanded expeditionary voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa.

Inca Empire

1532

when Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro landed in Peru in 1532, he found unimaginable riches. The inca empire was in full bloom. The streets may not have been paved with it stretched 2,500 miles from Quito, Ecuador to beyond Santiago, Chile. The inca controlled perhaps 10 million people speaking a hundred different tongues. It was the largest empire on earth at the time.